Quantitative research is a method of collecting and analysing numerical data to identify patterns, measure variables, and test relationships. It answers questions such as “how much?”, “how many?”, “how often?”, and “what is the relationship between variables?” by using structured tools like surveys, experiments, or statistical analysis to produce objective, generalisable results. Here we will look at the primary tool; surveys or questionnaires.
quantitative = breadth and measurement, qualitative = depth and understanding
What it answers:
How many people came to my gig?
What percentage of my audience is under 25?
How often do fans stream my songs in a month?
What is the average ticket spend for my shows?
Why it matters in music:
Helps you track your growth (e.g. streams, sales, followers).
Shows funders or venues your reach with solid evidence.
Helps identify which platforms, songs, or events perform best.
Lets you compare across time (before and after a release/tour)
Common quantitative tools for musicians:
- Streaming and distribution platforms such as The Orchard, Ditto, Songtradr, Sentric, Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists.
Social media insights (follower demographics, reach, engagement) and Chartmetric analytics.
Ticketing platforms (sales numbers, audience location).
Surveys with tick-box questions (age ranges, frequency of attendance).
Quick tip: Always ask yourself, “what decision will this number help me make?” Don’t just collect stats for the sake of it.
Survey design –
- Define Your Goal: Clearly state what you want to learn from the survey to maintain focus.
- Know Your Audience: Tailor your language and questions to be easily understood by your target respondents.
- Plan Your Question Types: Use closed-ended questions for easier analysis where possible, but also consider open-ended questions for detailed feedback (this is qualitative).
- You Can Use or Adapt Questions: Used in other questionnaires/other research or create your own questions
- Keep it Simple: Use clear, straightforward language that will be familiar and avoid jargon, technical terms, or industry-specific language.
- Keep it as Short as Possible: Brevity will aid comprehension and don’t ask two questions in one.
- Be Specific: Ask about one topic or aspect at a time to avoid confusing respondents and get focused answers.
- Maintain Neutrality: Phrase questions in a neutral way to prevent biasing responses.
- Offer Balanced Choices: Provide a range of answer options that cover the spectrum of possible responses, avoiding “absolutes” like “always” or “never”.
- Include a “N/A” or “Don’t Know” Option: This can prevent respondents from feeling forced to give an answer that doesn’t apply to them.
- Preview Your Survey: Look at the survey from a respondent’s point of view to check for any flow or clarity issues.
- Test Your Survey: Have others take the survey to identify any errors, confusing questions, or technical problems before distributing it.
- Keep it Concise: A shorter survey leads to better completion rates.
